Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-30
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 80. 1887.
An Unjust Proposition.

JOuCeuinH tDat tne IicBiSihtuic h"o
the power, it certainly has not the right,
TO compel the people OF Richmond to
receive into their public schools the
children OF persons residing without the
limits of this city, whether in Henrico,
Hanover, Chesterfield, or any other
county.
The present law is hard upon the
taxpayers Of Richmond, in that they
are made TO contribute TO the support
of schools elsewhere in the State. But
our people have never complained of
this requirement OF the school law. It's
adoption was IN certain sense neces-
sary to the success of the public-school
system. But that regulation is very
different from one requiring this city
to open her schools TO children residing
in Henrico county. The persons who
would be benefited by the passage of
the proposed law could easily secure
for themselves all the advantages of the
public schools Of Richmond. All they
have to do is to ask the Legislature to
extend the limits OF the city SO as to
bring them within the corporation.
The proposition, as it was made in
the House OF Delegates, was to force
into the public schools of this city the
children of parents owning property in
this city. That is to say, oil that a
Henrico man would have to do in order
10 crowd his children into the public
schools of Richmond would be to buy
a lot in the suburbs worth five dollars a
DOT, or even less. 1t is true the tax
upon that lot might not amount to
dollar year, but nevertheless the pur-
chasing of it would open to him the
schools of this city, the actual cost OF
tuition in which per pupil varies from
eighteen dollars per session of nine
months to six or seven dollars.
OF course the Legislature is not 60
ing TO force open the doors of our
school-houses to persons who, owning
property, are able to pay for the tuition
of their children, and close those doors
to persons who, owning no property,
are not able to pay for the tuition of
their children. So that the proposition
under consideration is in effect that the
public schools Of Richmond shall be
opened to all the children in Henrico
county.
This city expended last year more
than sixty thousand dollars in the cree
ton OF new school-houses. Even now,
however, we doubt that the school
houses are large enough and numerous
enough to accommodate all the children
who will seek admission into the
schools next fall for the increase In
the number of pupils is every year due
in some measure to the fact that year
by year number of persons who had
pstronized private schools conclude to
patronize the public schools. Besides,
persons from the country actually
move into the city in order to secure
the advantages of our excellent public
schools. We suppose the number OF
children who have thus gained admit
tance is large, Judging from what we
have learned as to the number thus &C
commodated from single neighbor-
hood.
When the Legislature comes to con-
slider the proposition we are discussing,
it ought to provide that the children of
the people of this city, who keep up
these schools, shall be accommodated
before any pupils are received from the
county of Henrico. 1t would be an in
tolerable wrong to force into the public
schools here the children of men doing
business in Richmond who have moved
into the county for the express purpose
of getting rid of the heavy school-tax
OF the city-a tax which must continue
to be heavy if the schools are to be
kept up to their present high standard.
BY the way, if the members of the Lee
gislature wish to enjoy a treat let them
visit our public schools in company
with Colonel JOIN y. CARY, and learn
for themselves why SO many persons
desire their children to secure the adj
vsntages of those schools.